8 ways to beat stress at work

There are ways to minimise work anxiety and stop it trickling into the rest of your life

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When it comes to the effects of a stressful job, could the 'fairer sex' be more likely to suffer? A recent YouGov survey found women were considerably more likely to have physical and mental ailments as a result of workplace stress, including loss of appetite, palpitations, dizziness and breaking into tears.

Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupation Health Psychology at the University of Bedford reckons it's not that simple, pointing out that men may be less inclined to report workplace stress because of stigma. But she also highlights that women tend to work in more emotionally demanding jobs, which are often paid less than men. Gail says:

"We used to think that the typical kind of stress victim was this high-pressurised executive man, but that really isn't the case. It's usually the person way down in the organisation – a job with high demand but low control where you may not get a lot of monetary rewards – who will be suffering."

And it's not just work that takes an unfair toll. Last year, Judith Shulevitz wrote in the New York Times about how women are responsible for most of the 'worry work' at home – making sure there are clean socks in drawers, booking doctors' appointments – which requires "large reserves of emotional energy to stay on top of it all". Even if fathers are helpful with the housework, women continue to direct most of the domestic and familial matters. Gail calls this emotional labour:

"This type of behaviour is incredibly demanding. Nobody can feel caring the whole time. You're going to have periods where you just can't do it very well, and it can lead to emotional exhaustion."

But it doesn't have to be this way. We explored some practical steps women can take to alleviate stress…

1. Separate your work and personal life

Gail suggests finding an activity which serves as a barrier between your work and personal life. It doesn't have to be an organised hobby: something as simple as talking to your children, watching television or going for a walk will do. Just be sure that as soon as this activity begins, you don't allow yourself to think about work.

"For me, it's cooking. I would never dream of going back to work after I've done that because it marks the start of my home life," says Gail.

She also recommends resting the sort of systems you use at work. Say you spend all day looking at a screen and you come home and go straight on the computer, you might well find it hard to switch off.

2. Don't multi-task

Women may think we're very good at multi-tasking, but when you're trying to cook dinner, feed a baby and have a tricky work conversation on the telephone, you run the risk of doing all those tasks badly. Gail says:

"You may be able to keep it up for a short period of time, but then you're going to burn out and your own needs and your self-care won't be enough of a priority."

3. Celebrate success

Studies show that if men are asked to talk about their greatest achievements they find this far easier and get less embarrassed than women. It's all too easy to minimise your success or contribute it to luck rather than hard work. So stop creating stress by being your biggest critic and start reveling in your ability and achievements:

"Focusing on the negative all the time is really going to make you feel low. But if you focus on what you did well in a situation, you'll be more confident about making things go right in the future," says Gail.

4. Eat often and regularly

You may not be able to control stress, but you can control how it affects you physically, advises Marilyn Glenville, a nutritionist specialising in women's health.

"There's a chance that your pattern of eating is subconsciously telling your body that it's under even more stress. If your blood sugar levels fluctuate, as they do for most women, your body will be releasing adrenaline...the same hormone it releases when you're under stress."

Marilyn recommends trying to keep blood sugar and energy levels stable by eating something every three hours.

"Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a snack mid-morning and one mid-afternoon, with no longer than three hours between. As the blood sugar steadies, so will your mood swings. As your adrenaline levels reduce you will automatically start to feel happier and calmer inside."

5. Switch off and sleep better

Setting aside at least eight hours a night may seem impossible, but consistently skipping sleep can affect your memory, judgement and mood.

A recent study by the American Academy of Sleep said that there could be a link between job strain and disturbed sleep, suggesting improving work satisfaction needs to start by treating sleep issues. Sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan advises us to do the following for a good night's sleep.

  • Disconnect from electronics at the end of the day and ideally at least 90 minutes before you get into bed.
  • Don't keep your phone in the bedroom.
  • If you wake up during the night, don't check the time.

    6. Channel your inner yogi

    Taking time out for a yoga class is a good de-stresser, but if you can't get to one, this pose is a good compromise. Michele Pernetta, one of the UK's leading yoga teachers and founder of Fierce Grace says:

    "The half-tortoise pose brings relaxation and is good for mental burnout as it calms the mind. It brings some of the same changes in the blood that happens only in deep sleep."

    How to do it

    1. Kneel down, with your buttocks resting on your heels and knees and feet together. Inhale and lift your arms over the head, palms together, thumbs crossed.
    2. Stretch up, pull your stomach in and slowly pivot down from your waist and put your forehead and fingers on the floor. (If you have a bad back don't have your arms over your head when you come down, just walk your hands down the floor).
    3. Relax your head and neck, breathe deeply and stretch your fingers forward to create traction in the spine.
    4. Lock your elbows and lift your wrists off the floor. Try to get your hips on your heels. If you can't get your head down, bend your elbows.
    5. Breathe deeply into your belly for 30 seconds.
    6. Inhale come up the same way you went in.

      7. Give mindfulness a chance

      You might feel too busy for mindfulness, too, but research shows it can have a huge impact on your stress levels. Joelle Marshall, Author of Managing Anxiety and Mindfulness for Dummies says:

      "By practising mindfulness you become more aware of your thoughts and your reactions. Once you're aware of these, you can take a step back and maybe not react automatically to a situation or become consumed in your stressful thoughts."

      How to do a daily mindfulness exercise:

      • Find somewhere quiet and comfortable to sit for at least ten minutes and close your eyes.
      • Set a timer on your phone to alert you when the ten minutes are up, so you don't worry about how long you've been doing it or how long you have left.
      • Place a hand on your tummy. Just feel the breath pushing against your hand and then subsiding again.
      • Focus fully on your breathing. If you feel your mind wandering to other thoughts, then slowly guide it back to your breath.
      • Just allow the breath to be as it is, don't try to force it to be a certain way. Just rest your attention on it. Your mind may wander a thousand times, it doesn't matter, just notice when it has wandered and focus back on the breath.
      • After ten minutes gently open your eyes and then resume what you need to do when you feel ready.

        8. Recruit a teammate

        Every task feels more difficult, and in turn stressful, when you're trying to complete it on your own. Gail suggests getting round this by finding a colleague – and going out for a coffee to talk through any issues you're having at work. She calls this peer-coaching:

        Think about the resources you have that can help you meet this goal, and keep on meeting up with your colleague and check how you're doing. Help each other generate solutions.

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